We sat down with Paulus the Cabaret Geek, writer and performer in the nostalgic musical comedy Looking for Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood.
Returning for an autumn tour, having sold out stages across the country for the last five years, this production will tour throughout the UK from September to November. This highly beloved tribute show brings to life the late national treasure Victoria Wood in a heartfelt homage to her brilliant humour and remarkable legacy. Looking For Me Friend invites devoted fans to relive Wood’s comedic and musical genius while showcasing her mastery to those who aren’t so familiar.
What inspired you to make a tribute show dedicated to the legacy of Victoria Wood?
Victoria’s death in 2016 was a big loss to many of us in the UK. Without her barmy-yet-business-like attitude to life’s everyday niggles, I think many of us felt adrift. I wanted to create a celebration for a missing friend, to thank her for all she gave us.
You have been touring the show for 5 years, do you have any memorable moments from taking this show on the road?
Performing in a roof-less church in a rain-storm to seventy people in plastic ponchos is now a core memory. The people of Liverpool are made of sturdy stuff! It has been an honour to perform the show to Victoria’s brother and lots of her school chums, who have all been very kind (and stayed ‘til the end). The VW Repertory Company has been well represented too with visits from Graham Seed (VWASOTV); Deborah Grant (Pat & Margaret) and Sue Devaney (dinnerladies), who declared ‘Vic would have loved this’
Why do you think this homage to Victoria Wood connects so well with fans?
My pianist and I come from a strong starting point of knowing that we could never touch Victoria’s genius – and do not try to. We don’t impersonate Victoria and Julie; we are ourselves – genuine life-long VW devotees, sharing our love of her with others. It is not uncommon for audience members to tell me after the show that it was like having her back for a couple of hours or that it felt as though she were there with us. I’m very proud to facilitate such a happening.
Do you feel any pressure in creating and performing a tribute show about a national treasure?
I’m so conflicted by the word ‘tribute’ but algorithms are strong and you have to be a bit ‘Ronseal’ when promoting anything these days. I feel the pressure to do as good as job – or work as hard – as Victoria would. In interviews, she often acknowledged that people have spent hard-earned money to be entertained by her, and that she felt a duty to do as good a job as possible to honour that. I feel the same. If I saw my show advertised, I’d probably gasp, clutch my pearls and exclaim ‘The Audacity!’; so I really need to deliver to counter-balance that.
What does it mean to you to have friends and co-stars of Victoria Wood attend and praise your show?
It can be quite daunting if you know they are out there; super-fan Mark Gatiss (whom Victoria starred alongside in the League of Gentlemen movie) was very kind afterwards and sat directly across the aisle from Graham Seed, but I think the reaction and feedback of her devoted fans is more validating, somehow. Ultimately, we are exploring the legacy she left behind, in each one of us that calls out ‘Red Cabbage How Much’ in public in hope of a reply!
Why should audiences come and see Looking For Me Friend?
Well, its cheaper than popping the heating on for half-hour, and we do have a rich tradition of ‘hutching up’ to keep warm in this country, so sit uncomfortably near a stranger, won’t you. They’ll be appalling accents from both myself and Michael Roulston on the piano (the accents come from his mouth, though – not the keyboard.) Readers may have seen Michael as part of the cabaret super-troupe Fascinating Aida in recent years, and I’m proud to share him with these three other idols of mine. Oh, and the merch is brilliant – grab a Two Soups badge on the way out, for sure!
What can audiences expect from your own story being intertwined with Wood’s music and legacy?
After one particular show somewhere bizarre – where was it? Oh, yes, Doncaster – two people told me ‘You’ve just told my life-story on-stage’; and I was struck that they had used the same words and felt so similar in spite of being 50 years apart in age and different sexes. The personal narrative weaved throughout the show serves, I hope, to illustrate that Victoria was a star who remained accessible to us throughout her career. She was interested in normal, every-day problems and people and so her work resonated deeply with people and for a wide cross-section also. I guess I’m saying Victoria was like a North Star for me (and many others, it turns out) and without her I am a little lost.
Did you face any challenges when developing this show?
Oh absolutely – a global pandemic which closed down all live music venues and made it illegal for me to do my job; train strikes; grieving the loss of my mother to cancer (just like we lost Victoria); four different prime ministers; more train strikes; a cost-of-living crisis; the death of the Queen (more cancelled gigs, in spite of her explicit wishes to the contrary); a tour-booker that didn’t book me a tour; another train strike – it got so bad I had to learn to drive aged 49. I passed first time, thanks for asking. You know, little things like that.
How has the show evolved throughout the years?
Well, I’ve learnt it now. I think. Finding places to breathe has been interesting – that’s why I’ve given Michael lines in the script – just for a breather. ‘The Ballad of Barry & Freda’ is NOT an easy thing to remember. It is 7 minutes long with almost as many key changes. A lot of people call this song ‘Let’s Do It’, of course, which I don’t really mind but sometimes I think ‘Crumbs, if I can learn 13 verses of this you could at least get the title right.’ And not sing along. Seriously, I’m trying to concentrate here, people!